FREMONT, Calif.—On Friday at Tesla's factory, Ars got behind the wheel of one of the first Tesla Model 3s off the factory line. It was a quick, 5-minute guided drive around the factory, but it gave a quick impression of what may be Tesla's most important car.

After all, Tesla has been working up to the launch of the Model 3 for years. CEO Elon Musk's dream has been to build an affordably-priced electric vehicle for mass production, and he's consistently framed the the Roadster, the Model S, and the Model X as luxury vehicles destined to subsidize a lower-priced electric car for the masses.

The $35,000 electric vehicle's interior is more spartan than the Model S or Model X. Air ducts are hidden and there's no instrument cluster directly in front of the driver. All the information you need about the car is found on a single, horizontal screen mounted in the center of the dashboard. The side mirrors and steering column are adjusted with two marble-sized trackballs where your thumbs might rest on the steering wheel.

As for the drive, the car is just as responsive as any other electric vehicle—that is, far more so than those with internal combustion engines. It won't go as fast as a Model S or X (130 mph is the top speed in the Standard model, and if you purchase the newly announced Long-Range battery for an extra $9,000 you can get up to 140mph). It also only has one motor instead of the dual-motor system you find in the older cars. Although we didn't have much time to put the Model 3 through the paces, steering was tight and didn't feel cheap. That said, you can feel the road in the Model 3 more than in an Model S. Tesla's challenge will be managing the expectations of people who only associate the marque with high-end vehicles.

Specs at a glance: Tesla’s Model 3

Standard

Long-Range

Price

$35,000

$44,000

Range

220 miles (EPA estimated)

310 miles (EPA estimated)

0-60

5.6 seconds

5.1 seconds

Top Speed

130 mph

140 mph

Home Charging Rate

30 miles of range per hour (240V outlet, 32A)

37 miles of range per hour (240V outlet, 40A)

Battery Warranty

8 years, 100,000 miles

8 year, 120,000 miles

Deliveries Begin

Fall 2017

July 2017

But Musk is getting better at managing expectations. The Tesla CEO has a habit of making dramatic, reaching promises and then spending the next year, or years, fending off prying questions from reporters and investors and trying to meet the farthest-reaching goals. But with the Model 3, Musk’s not making any wild promises.

“We’re going to go through at least six months of manufacturing hell,” the CEO said in a meeting with press on Friday afternoon. “I would certainly advise that you consider prior production ramps, past stories will tend to fundamentally not appreciate that manufacturing is an S-curve.”

Manufacturing is the key

Musk has spent the last several months saying that his company is trying to specialize in manufacturing as much as it's trying to specialize in electric cars. Tesla has even gone so far as reorganizing the company's Fremont factory to accommodate the Model 3. "In the same amount of space that it takes to build 50,000 Model Ss, we can build 250,000 Model 3s," Musk said on Friday.

Tesla hit manufacturing speed bumps getting its previous S and X models up to 20,000 units a year (and this year, to 50,000 units a year). The company battled engineering issues, quality control issues, and problems with suppliers in learning how to build their luxury models. (Musk called Tesla a "drama magnet" compared to his other endeavors like SpaceX in a recent investor call.) But both luxury cars benefitted from smart branding and a huge cult following—meaning unmet demand is the major frustration for new customers.

With the Model 3, Tesla has a double challenge—the car maker has to not only manage expectations for the speed of the cars off the production line, but it has to make buyers understand that these $35,000-$44,000 cars will not be as nice as the Model S and X.

Which is maybe why Musk spent so much time “sandbagging,” as he put it.

“There’s 10,000 unique components in the car, and production will move as fast as the slowest one,” he said. Musk turned to a slideshow image of a world map, showing cities around the world with lines drawn to Fremont. "This is an ICBM strike on Fremont," Musk said, with deadpan humor. Actually, the image depicted component factories that supply the Model 3 and how far they travel to the Fremont factory. About 70 percent of those components come from NAFTA areas, and the other 30 percent come from elsewhere around the world, Musk said.

Further Reading

Part of this challenge is that the Model 3, like the S and X, will be sold with all the hardware required for full autonomy, although the base-price Standard option only has a few such features engaged like emergency braking. For an extra $5,000, customers can purchase Autopilot with the same features you'd find in the Model S—matching speed to traffic conditions, lane-keep assist, automatic lane-changing, and self-parking. Eventually, people who've purchased this package will be able to add full self-driving capability for an extra $3,000 (that's $8,000 total). That option is subject to "extensive software validation and regulatory approval," the company warned on a press sheet circulated on Friday afternoon.

Eventually, Musk said on Friday, Tesla wants to put out 500,000 Model 3s a year, although he predicted about 50,000 Model 3s will hit the streets next year. At the factory on Friday evening, the first 30 vehicles were delivered to Tesla employees. Deliveries will be made slowly over the next year, starting with customers that already own Model S or X vehicles.

Another thing of note is that the Standard Model 3 and the Long-Range Model 3 have two different batteries, so you can't upgrade your Standard to a Long-Range vehicle when you find an extra $9,000 down the line. But both cars use 2170 cells in the battery—that is, the cells are slightly bigger than those found in the Model S and X at 21mm by 70mm, and they can deliver almost twice what the current 18650 cells deliver to the Model S and X in terms of current. The pack itself is also more integrated with the charger and the rest of the car in its build.

A crowd waits for Elon Musk to speak Friday evening.

Megan Geuss

The first run of Model 3s.

Megan Geuss

A Model 3 for test drive.

Megan Geuss

The car is also a mix of steel and aluminum, compared to the mostly-aluminum Model S.

Other small details: the Model 3 doesn't have automatically extending door handles (you have to push the handles in on the left, and pull from the right, which might be an issue for people with small hands). There's also no key. The car will open with a compatible Tesla app, or, if you don't have a smartphone, a keycard that you can put in your wallet to help the car recognize you.

Selling the car

Tesla also went to great lengths on Friday to express that if you have the means to buy the S or X, the company thinks its higher-priced cars are still better than the Model 3. After Ars drove the Model 3, the company offered rides in some Model S vehicles on the factory's private test track just to remind the press that the more expensive vehicles are better.

Musk also bristled at a question about reservations for the Model 3, saying that it was "aggravating" to keep hearing the question. "We do everything we can to unsell a car," Musk said. "Have you ever seen an ad for a Model 3?" The CEO then went on to say the net reservation number was currently "over half a million."

An additional challenge now is that the Model 3 is six months behind Chevrolet's Bolt, which Ars drove in February. That base-price EV starts at $37,495, and has a range of 238 miles. But enthusiasm for that car is reportedly lukewarm compared to the devotion of the Tesla faithful.

529 Reader Comments

The commentary thus far reminds me of the commentary after the iPhone and the iPad launches. Quite interesting.

For sure. Tesla has locked down everything, so after-market equipment might never arise. So just like Apple it's like it or lump it for some of the design decisions.

Quote:

As for driving information... well, in an electric car, you don't need a tachometer. So what do you need to see while while driving that is typically in the front dash? Speed and energy remaining (or range). We don't need oil temp nor tach in an pure electric vehicle and things like odometer isn't actually necessary in the front dash. We are already used to seeing navigation, audio and HVAC controls in the center area. So if the speed and range are easy to see, then the experience in terms of information display is pretty close. As for no-see buttons, well the steering mounted scroll wheels can do volume and HVAC temperature pretty easily.

Turn signals and high beams. I see far too many people with those on when they shouldn't be, they need more prominence not less.

I know there will be enthusiasts who will down-vote any criticism, but that interior seriously sucks. Functionally, ergonomically, aesthetically. It's probably a GREAT car to be a passenger in. It looks roomy and comfortable with spartan interiors that don't get in your way.

But dear god, I wouldn't want to be DRIVING that with passengers in it. It completely ignores about 120 years of automotive tradition in vehicle instrumentation. I loathe touch-screens as well. Having to take your eyes off the road to do ANYTHING, instead of feeling your way along the dash to the knob or button you want will be hugely distracting/dangerous - especially before the driver gets used to the layout.

That isn't something one should have to get used to by taking your eyes off the road, then hoping the road is smooth enough for you to hit the right part of the screen.

Just, no.

I'll get a Volt or Leaf before I ever get one of those. Tesla made a good looking car, and I'm sure a lot of them are going to end up gracing the covers of auto insurance periodicals - appearing somewhat differently and much less pretty than their original configurations were supposed to show.

#HugeDisappointmet #TeslaBlewIt #IWantARealDashboard

Well, you probably said it yourself. It's a great car to be a passenger in, and the point is, probably in 3-5 years, it will be driving itself, and you will be yet another passenger.

I don't really fancy that interior design either, but it's not bad that someone tries out something new. If it works, it'll stick and if it doesn't, well, it won't sell and they'll probably redesign the interior at some point.

The Dimensions are VERY close; The Tesla is a bit Wider, taller, only a bit shorter, and rides on longer wheelbase, and is in the same price range.

They seem like natural competitors.

Length and width may be similar, but there's a huge battery pack taking up valuable space. It's quite easy to spot the difference in the chauffeured market - Teslas have made it into the limo-cab business, but I have yet to see a millionaire giving up S class luxury for the backseat of a Model S.

You may want to re-think that comment a bit as it sounds pretty naive. The battery on a Model S is in the floor. No one in the backseat (millionaire or otherwise) is losing space because of it.

Actually the battery is taking up valuable height because your seat has to be raised higher (the whole chassis is raised a bit to allow the battery to sit snugly underneath) and backseat space is also limited by the second engine in the back, which is also nicely tucked away and covered by the chassis to create a continuous fire curtain for the passengers.

Here's a 6'3" guy reviewing a Mercedes S Class backseat legroom (it doesn't say in the video, but by the looks of it it's not even the long wheelbase version). Compare that to a 6'1" reviewer for Model S.

I had a mini cooper back around 2005 and the speedometer was in the same place as the model 3. It took some getting used to but it turned out to be a simple adjustment that did not affect my driving at all.

I was going to say this. There are already several cars out there with center instrument clusters, it's pretty easy to get used to.

The 'cluster' on my Prius Prime is center mounted. But the HUD projected on the windshield gives me my speed, EV miles remaining and navigation cues. I rarely have to look to the center of the dash for anything important.

US S/X sales are flat, but I wouldn't read too much into that. If Tesla sells US car number 200,000 on December 30th 2017, then all the vehicles they sell in the first half of 2018 get half of the $7500 tax credit and a quarter of that in the second half.

No. If they make US Delivery 200k anytime up through Dec 30, 2017 all sales through March 2018 get the FULL credit.

Basically, you get the full credit for the quarter when you hit 200k, PLUS one more calendar quarter.

They don't have to reduce it much. Right now they are on track for roughly 200,000 vehicles by the end of the year. They can sell 199,999 vehicles and be good. They can even produce more than 200K total, not sell them, wait until Jan 1st and then sell them and be fine.<snip>

* Lifetime Tesla sales through end of 2016 are ~110K. Tesla is on track for ~40K Model S/X for 2017. Throw in 50K more Model 3 and that puts you right at 200K so they don't need to adjust much to avoid going over the 200K mark early.

You seem to be conflating US sales with Global sales. For the US $7,500 tax credit, only US sales matter. I highly doubt all Model 3 sales for the year will be in the USA.

Yes, US Tesla sales through 2016 were something like 100k. I think you're low on Model S/X sales for 2017 - they probably sold ~25k in the first half of the year in the USA (speculation, but a bit more than half of sales have usually been US sales.) Even with continued flat sales, that would put them at ~50k for the year. If they follow historical trends, more like 65k. That gets us to 175k US sales. Figure half of the Model 3 sales in the USA, gets you right around 200k.

And that's presuming the Model 3 ramps as anticipated. They're on schedule so far, but it's far from guaranteed they will continue on schedule.

Can they game it? Absolutely. Move an extra 5k (or heck - ALL) Model 3 December sales to the overseas allocation.

there's no instrument cluster directly in front of the driver. All the information you need about the car is found on a single, horizontal screen mounted in the center of the dashboard.

Call me crazy .. but I sure as hell don't want to have to glance down and off to the side to see fundemental things like what speed I am doing.

And even then that screen doesn't even look angled towards the driver. That's got to add to the lack of ergonomics.

Not that I am about to buy one, but I had hopes that it would be something I would lust after.

Edit. Given the down votes its seems that some of you are calling me crazy!

Edit2: To add to the physical ergonomics: 1) glare on the screen during the day 2) Big bright light in your face at night.

This only works (sort of) if you have a fully autonomous car, but sucks if you are a manual driver.

i surely hope they tested the brightness issues. I'm sure it has an auto brightness and will be brighter than most phones which is fine in direct sun light. The speed is in shown in a small box in the upper left hand corner. I'd say its insignificantly less easy than dropping the eyes directly down.

120V charging isn't that bad if you're doing overnight charging. For the average person you're probably talking something like 12 hours between getting home and going to work again in the morning. Pretty good amount of charge if you can also charge at work and other frequent destinations. And providing more 120V outlets is a much easier hurdle to clear than providing more 240V outlets.

It's only potentially possible if you can also plug in at work and your commute is under about 25 miles (equivalent)/day one way, or about 30 miles round trip each day with only overnight. Level 1 is very slow, the differences between Levels 1, 2, and 3 are geometric because each level is an increases in voltage AND amperage. Level 1 only charges about 3 miles equivalent per hour at best.

It also isn't going to allow you to fully utilize the lower off-peak hour (typically 10pm-6am, but varies) charging prices you can get from some electricity providers.

You can sort of cheat this a bit by slowly running a deficit during the week and then bring back to full over the weekend (assuming little driving) but ultimately owners are quite likely going to install a Level 2 compatible outlet because without it you don't really have full access to the Model 3 capability, even the 220mi range one.

Even 120V, 15A (1800W) should do far more than 3 miles of range per hour. On a Model S it would be about 5-6 miles of range per hour. Model 3 it would be more like 7-8 miles per hour. 20A outlet (not that uncommon in garage) would be 30% more.

That isn't ideal but given that 12,000 miles a year is 33 miles per day it would still work for some users.

re: the center console speedometer - there are two benefits that aren't being considered. 1) at night, there is no bright lights right in front of you. This allows you more opportunity to see properly out of the car. (the brightness of the center display is adjustable of course, and it has an auto-brightness mode just like your cellphone) 2) in a conventional car (including Model S+X), when you are turning, you often can't see your road speed, because the spokes of the steering wheel, or your hands and arms, are blocking your view of the speedometer which is in front of the steering wheel. However with the speedometer in the center, it is never blocked, no matter what you're doing with your hands, arms, or steering wheel. This is important on sweeping turns like freeway cloverleafs, where you want to know your speed while you're on the turn.

If you don't like the speedometer being in the center, don't buy the Model 3. It didn't cripple any of the other cars that have the speedometer in the center... Mini, PT Cruiser, Saturn ION and so on. It's not some global scandal... it's been done before and it's fine.

It's obvious to anyone who thinks this through that the Model 3 will be driven using the Autopilot a lot more, and it handles the speed for you. If you want to drive the car manually... go find a stick shift three-pedal car.

In the Model S+X, Tesla did a great job of minimalizing reflections off the center screen, even despite the huge window glass area. I speak from personal experience. Don't be too hasty to assume it will reflect light.

120V charging isn't that bad if you're doing overnight charging. For the average person you're probably talking something like 12 hours between getting home and going to work again in the morning. Pretty good amount of charge if you can also charge at work and other frequent destinations. And providing more 120V outlets is a much easier hurdle to clear than providing more 240V outlets.

It's only potentially possible if you can also plug in at work and your commute is under about 25 miles (equivalent)/day one way, or about 30 miles round trip each day with only overnight. Level 1 is very slow, the differences between Levels 1, 2, and 3 are geometric because each level is an increases in voltage AND amperage. Level 1 only charges about 3 miles equivalent per hour at best.

It also isn't going to allow you to fully utilize the lower off-peak hour (typically 10pm-6am, but varies) charging prices you can get from some electricity providers.

You can sort of cheat this a bit by slowly running a deficit during the week and then bring back to full over the weekend (assuming little driving) but ultimately owners are quite likely going to install a Level 2 compatible outlet because without it you don't really have full access to the Model 3 capability, even the 220mi range one.

Even 120V, 15A (1800W) should do far more than 3 miles of range per hour. On a Model S it would be about 5-6 miles of range per hour. Model 3 it would be more like 7-8 miles per hour. 20A outlet (not that uncommon in garage) would be 30% more.

That isn't ideal but given that 12,000 miles a year is 33 miles per day it would still work for some users.

In practice it's only about 3mi/h, because it doesn't pull the full 15A (more like 12A), that voltage number isn't really the one to use for general calculations (110v instead), and isn't a perfect conversion (so it's more like 1.3ishKw), and of course your driving mileage may vary so this is the "what can I safely count on" number.

True the Model 3 is probably going to get you some extra miles, is there any word yet on what W/mi that expected 220mi range works out to? (Or in other words, what is the battery pack capacity.))

EDIT: Found the new mileage specs in that MotorTrend article, 27/26 (city/highway) kWh/100 mi. That compares to about 32 for Model S. So you should be able to safely count on 4mi/h charging on a 15A/110 plug.

I suspect that with EV adoption you'll see more apartments offering these facilities, but it will take a while.

Yeah, true. I was thinking more near-term, rather than longer term, with my comment. It'd be a much harder sell to get a single charge point installed for one resident than it would be if the majority of residents are expected to have EVs, so you're not likely to see early adopters living in apartments (IMO).

I think it depends.

I have a 5 mile commute (one way) and an employer that has chargers. I happen to have a house, but even if I had an apartment, I think an EV would be viable for me. Charge up full on Friday would be enough to see me through most weekends, especially once adding in public chargers. _Especially_ for the newer vehicles with ~200 mile ranges.

Those with the real issue are apartment dwellers (which trend urban) with suburban distance commutes. Now, millions of people fit in that group, but millions of other apartment residents don't.

"It’ll take a lot more miles than this to decide if the single off-center screen completely substitutes for a conventionally located gauge cluster, but I’m already adapting to it. At least I can always see the mph display near my right hand position (upper left corner of the screen) versus it being often half-hidden behind spokes."

*cough*

"Tesla worked hard to increase interior space, and subjectively it succeeded. For a compact car, the Model 3 feels incredibly light and airy. The dash is pulled ahead and pressed down, but cleverly, the touchscreen is apart from that, close to your right hand. "

It comes off as crazy because this just isn't what cars look like *says my lizard brain looking at it*.

120V charging isn't that bad if you're doing overnight charging. For the average person you're probably talking something like 12 hours between getting home and going to work again in the morning. Pretty good amount of charge if you can also charge at work and other frequent destinations. And providing more 120V outlets is a much easier hurdle to clear than providing more 240V outlets.

It's only potentially possible if you can also plug in at work and your commute is under about 25 miles (equivalent)/day one way, or about 30 miles round trip each day with only overnight. Level 1 is very slow, the differences between Levels 1, 2, and 3 are geometric because each level is an increases in voltage AND amperage. Level 1 only charges about 3 miles equivalent per hour at best.

It also isn't going to allow you to fully utilize the lower off-peak hour (typically 10pm-6am, but varies) charging prices you can get from some electricity providers.

You can sort of cheat this a bit by slowly running a deficit during the week and then bring back to full over the weekend (assuming little driving) but ultimately owners are quite likely going to install a Level 2 compatible outlet because without it you don't really have full access to the Model 3 capability, even the 220mi range one.

Even 120V, 15A (1800W) should do far more than 3 miles of range per hour. On a Model S it would be about 5-6 miles of range per hour. Model 3 it would be more like 7-8 miles per hour. 20A outlet (not that uncommon in garage) would be 30% more.

That isn't ideal but given that 12,000 miles a year is 33 miles per day it would still work for some users.

In practice it's only about 3mi/h, because it doesn't pull the full 15A (more like 12A), that voltage number isn't really the one to use for general calculations (110v instead), and isn't a perfect conversion (so it's more like 1.3ishKw), and of course your driving mileage may vary so this is the "what can I safely count on" number.

True the Model 3 is probably going to get you some extra miles, is there any word yet on what W/mi that expected 220mi range works out to? (Or in other words, what is the battery pack capacity.))

If correct the Model 3 (base) is using 237 Wh per mile. Now that would be Tesla's own long distance computation (likely 100% highway driving). The 220 miles comes from EPA test which includes some city driving so it isn't exactly apples to apples. My guess would be the Model 3 pack is around 50 kWh.

If correct the Model 3 (base) is using 237 Wh per mile. Now that would be Tesla's own long distance computation (likely 100% highway driving). The 220 miles comes from EPA test which includes some city driving so it isn't exactly apples to apples. My guess would be the Model 3 pack is around 50 kWh.

there's no instrument cluster directly in front of the driver. All the information you need about the car is found on a single, horizontal screen mounted in the center of the dashboard.

Call me crazy .. but I sure as hell don't want to have to glance down and off to the side to see fundemental things like what speed I am doing.

And even then that screen doesn't even look angled towards the driver. That's got to add to the lack of ergonomics.

Not that I am about to buy one, but I had hopes that it would be something I would lust after.

Edit. Given the down votes its seems that some of you are calling me crazy!

Edit2: To add to the physical ergonomics: 1) glare on the screen during the day 2) Big bright light in your face at night.

This only works (sort of) if you have a fully autonomous car, but sucks if you are a manual driver.

I logged in JUST to post this exact thing. This thing needs a proper instrument display just below the windshield and above the steering wheel. Cars did that for a reason! Further, it seems a bit "tacked on" to slap the panel on a little floating bar instead of actually building it into the console. It looks like the console was one of their bigger cost saving measures, but frankly I'd rather they get rid of the sun roof. I don't want or need a sunroof. This is especially true where I live where all it would do is make the inside of my car bake even hotter.

120V charging isn't that bad if you're doing overnight charging. For the average person you're probably talking something like 12 hours between getting home and going to work again in the morning. Pretty good amount of charge if you can also charge at work and other frequent destinations. And providing more 120V outlets is a much easier hurdle to clear than providing more 240V outlets.

It's only potentially possible if you can also plug in at work and your commute is under about 25 miles (equivalent)/day one way, or about 30 miles round trip each day with only overnight. Level 1 is very slow, the differences between Levels 1, 2, and 3 are geometric because each level is an increases in voltage AND amperage. Level 1 only charges about 3 miles equivalent per hour at best.

It also isn't going to allow you to fully utilize the lower off-peak hour (typically 10pm-6am, but varies) charging prices you can get from some electricity providers.

You can sort of cheat this a bit by slowly running a deficit during the week and then bring back to full over the weekend (assuming little driving) but ultimately owners are quite likely going to install a Level 2 compatible outlet because without it you don't really have full access to the Model 3 capability, even the 220mi range one.

Even 120V, 15A (1800W) should do far more than 3 miles of range per hour. On a Model S it would be about 5-6 miles of range per hour. Model 3 it would be more like 7-8 miles per hour. 20A outlet (not that uncommon in garage) would be 30% more.

That isn't ideal but given that 12,000 miles a year is 33 miles per day it would still work for some users.

I guess the challenge isn't just adapting your own outlets, but the network itself. Everyone will plug the car in the evening after returning from work. Expect something like the power outages in summer months when everyone turns the A/C on until utility companies decide to step in and update their hardware.In the end, like it or not, electric cars are coming so we'll have to prep for it.

120V charging isn't that bad if you're doing overnight charging. For the average person you're probably talking something like 12 hours between getting home and going to work again in the morning. Pretty good amount of charge if you can also charge at work and other frequent destinations. And providing more 120V outlets is a much easier hurdle to clear than providing more 240V outlets.

It's only potentially possible if you can also plug in at work and your commute is under about 25 miles (equivalent)/day one way, or about 30 miles round trip each day with only overnight. Level 1 is very slow, the differences between Levels 1, 2, and 3 are geometric because each level is an increases in voltage AND amperage. Level 1 only charges about 3 miles equivalent per hour at best.

It also isn't going to allow you to fully utilize the lower off-peak hour (typically 10pm-6am, but varies) charging prices you can get from some electricity providers.

You can sort of cheat this a bit by slowly running a deficit during the week and then bring back to full over the weekend (assuming little driving) but ultimately owners are quite likely going to install a Level 2 compatible outlet because without it you don't really have full access to the Model 3 capability, even the 220mi range one.

Even 120V, 15A (1800W) should do far more than 3 miles of range per hour. On a Model S it would be about 5-6 miles of range per hour. Model 3 it would be more like 7-8 miles per hour. 20A outlet (not that uncommon in garage) would be 30% more.

That isn't ideal but given that 12,000 miles a year is 33 miles per day it would still work for some users.

I guess the challenge isn't just adapting your own outlets, but the network itself. Everyone will plug the car in the evening after returning from work. Expect something like the power outages in summer months when everyone turns the A/C on until utility companies decide to step in and update their hardware.In the end, like it or not, electric cars are coming so we'll have to prep for it.

That is already a solved problem. EVs already support "charging hours" you program when the car should start charging. If the utility offers a lower rate off peak then you would program your car to start charging then. There is tons of idle capacity overnight right now.

Dominion power in Virginia for example offers EV charging between 10pm and 6am at 4 cents per kWh. In a Model S 12,000 miles would be ~4,000 kWh and at 4 cents per kWh that would be $160 a year. It is a no brainer to charge when it is cheap if the utilities give you that option and it is a no brainer for the utilities to shift that demand to overnight to improve the efficiency of the grid.

It seems like this car is meant to be self-driving, with an option to be driven manually in a pinch. Except (for now) it can't self-drive, so you're stuck with the afterthought method of moving it around. It's a bridge between the past and the future.

Especially given the title of the article, I would have liked to see more about what it's like to drive. Is the screen as poor an interface as the commenters suppose? Is glare an actual problem? etc. I expected a hands-on, but this is more of an "I read the press release, let me summarize it for you."

Who in the heck has an external 240v 32amp to 40amp outlet conveniently mounted in their garage (non-attached) or the wall of their house?

I don't. But that's not a deal breaker for me: given that I'll probably be spending of the order of $AU60k on the vehicle, another $1k (or so) to have the outlet installed in my carport, near where the car will be parked overnight, will be well worth it. Especially since I'll certainly save that much in fuel over the first year or two.

The biggest hurdle will be sorting out the permits and authorisations from the local electricity supplier, I suspect. It's just another detail to be taken care of, not a big concern. (Unless you live in an apartment or similar, and your car is parked in a communal space - in which case, you either work something out with the owners' corporation or equivalent, or you don't buy an EV.) If there are delays, well, there are other outlets that I can connect an extension lead to, and get 230V (nominal), 10A (nominal) charging.

Let's be honest, people don't currently buy EVs like the 3 for cost savings. My last car cost me US$25,000. The 3 with no options at all would be US$35,000 excluding any incentives which all other taxpayers are subsidizing, so you're welcome. $10,000 at $3 per gallon would get me about 100,000 miles of petrol driving. With my current car, that's about 8 years worth of driving. I see no reason to pay upfront for 8 years worth of driving. And the savings are only short-term. EV drivers are currently getting a free ride on paying for infrastructure costs. At some point taxes will have to be built into the electric grid to offset the loss of tax revenue from the petrol grid. Cost is cost. Nothing is free, although it should be cheaper to run a power plant than to drill 5 miles into the ocean and suck out dino juice.

Serious question for those that currently own an all-electric car. How does spirited driving impact range? For example, the base 3 is what, 210 miles? Let's say I wanted to do some spirited driving, would the range drop to 200, 150, something else? What has your experience been with whatever car you have?

It appears the range is based on perfect conditions at 55 mph. A slower speed gets you more range, a higher speed, less range. For the Model S, the 85kWh battery, at 35 mph the range is 400 miles, at 55 mph it's 300 miles, and at 75 mph it's 230 miles. So I'm assuming spirited driving could very materially impact range, depending on how much regeneration you're getting back from spirited braking and such.

From my experience with the Leaf: Flooring it every time you accelerate to the speed limit isn't going to have much effect, same with having fun on a curvy road (I do both regularly, it's not fast, but it's fun to drive). Going over ~60mph you'll see it start to drop quicker. Driving up a steep mountain you'll see a huge drop, driving down you'll get ~60% of it back. Haven't autox'd it yet, so idk what that would look like, though a guy I know autox'd a Tesla Roadster for a couple years and didn't have any issues running out of charge (which is what you'd expect, even with 8-10 runs/day and a lot of wot-brake-wot it's not a lot of distance).

Though none of this is unique to electric cars. My racecar at a hillclimb gets like low-mid single digit mpg but gets ~20mpg if I drive it around town normally.

I'll apologize in Advance for not wanting to go through all 10 pages of comments:

Who in the heck has an external 240v 32amp to 40amp outlet conveniently mounted in their garage (non-attached) or the wall of their house?

<sigh> Houses built after 1980? 1990? 2000?

even if you don't, it shouldn't be very expensive to have an electrician run a circuit.

I looked at getting a line run to my garage, about 30 feet, for an electric dryer. Bids centered around $600. This was a few years ago. Not cheap.

while $600 seems like a good chunk of change out of pocket, it seems pretty cheap compared to car that's going to cost $42k or so ..., oops $42.6k ... Especially given anticipated savings on petrol ....

I guess it depends on your perspective. My last petrol car cost me all of $25k and I'm still driving it 7 years later. For the price difference I can get about 180,000 miles of petrol driving, which for me would be another 7-8 years.

Tesla is indeed breaking with all standards putting only that tablet and nothing else, but in my view, they are daring visionaries.People say they embrace the new but when time comes they are not able to see past their own stereotypes and fixations (by that I mean 75% of this article's comments).

Forget all you know about cars, start clean. Dashboard full of indicators, gauges and lights ? Better watch the road not the indicators. If the cars is not driving by itself. If it actually is (driving by itself) why all that classic fancy dashboard ? Think about "voice control" for example.We are used to have it (the dashboard), we may (soon) no longer need it (most of it), but can't live if we don't have it.Let's try something new: evolution. It was about time.

As for the lack of a display - I give the geeks a week to produce a 3d-printed HUD, connected to the car through bluetooth or, at worst, the ODB2 connector; either running on an Arduino or Pi, or just a hand-me-down phone. I give it a few months for it to become to be a commercially-made third-party accessory.

You can already buy a HUD for $50 or more on Amazon, depending on the features.

Tesla is indeed breaking with all standards putting only that tablet and nothing else, but in my view, they are daring visionaries.People say they embrace the new but when time comes they are not able to see past their own stereotypes and fixations (by that I mean 75% of this article's comments).

Forget all you know about cars, start clean. Dashboard full of indicators, gauges and lights ? Better watch the road not the indicators. If the cars is not driving by itself. If it actually is (driving by itself) why all that classic fancy dashboard ? Think about "voice control" for example.We are used to have it (the dashboard), we may (soon) no longer need it (most of it), but can't live if we don't have it.Let's try something new: evolution. It was about time.

P.S. Display is limited to the tablet but it isn't only the tablet for input. There are programmable left-right + scroll-wheel thumb controls on each side of the steering wheel. The reviews so far have talked about that coming preset to seat control but if there are a couple seat pre-sets you can program in and access via the display, or keyed to automatically set to individual access cards/fobs (because that's been a thing for a decade) then I'm not sure why I'd keep them tied to that functionality?

Let's be honest, people don't currently buy EVs like the 3 for cost savings. My last car cost me US$25,000. The 3 with no options at all would be US$35,000 excluding any incentives which all other taxpayers are subsidizing, so you're welcome. $10,000 at $3 per gallon would get me about 100,000 miles of petrol driving. With my current car, that's about 8 years worth of driving. I see no reason to pay upfront for 8 years worth of driving. And the savings are only short-term. EV drivers are currently getting a free ride on paying for infrastructure costs. At some point taxes will have to be built into the electric grid to offset the loss of tax revenue from the petrol grid. Cost is cost. Nothing is free, although it should be cheaper to run a power plant than to drill 5 miles into the ocean and suck out dino juice.

I'm sure that most people buying the S/X aren't doing it for the cost savings, but as EVs trend down in price it's likely that more will consider potential cost savings. Cost savings are a nice bonus for me, but I'd buy one either way. The last car I bought was in the mid/low 30k range. My current car costs me a bit over 10$ per 100km of driving or ~10,000$ for 100,000km (62,000 miles). I'll certainly be paying a good bit more for the Model 3 before incentives, but now I won't be spending money every month on gas that just serves to crap up the environment (charging is free at night).

120V charging isn't that bad if you're doing overnight charging. For the average person you're probably talking something like 12 hours between getting home and going to work again in the morning. Pretty good amount of charge if you can also charge at work and other frequent destinations. And providing more 120V outlets is a much easier hurdle to clear than providing more 240V outlets.

It's only potentially possible if you can also plug in at work and your commute is under about 25 miles (equivalent)/day one way, or about 30 miles round trip each day with only overnight. Level 1 is very slow, the differences between Levels 1, 2, and 3 are geometric because each level is an increases in voltage AND amperage. Level 1 only charges about 3 miles equivalent per hour at best.

It also isn't going to allow you to fully utilize the lower off-peak hour (typically 10pm-6am, but varies) charging prices you can get from some electricity providers.

You can sort of cheat this a bit by slowly running a deficit during the week and then bring back to full over the weekend (assuming little driving) but ultimately owners are quite likely going to install a Level 2 compatible outlet because without it you don't really have full access to the Model 3 capability, even the 220mi range one.

Even 120V, 15A (1800W) should do far more than 3 miles of range per hour. On a Model S it would be about 5-6 miles of range per hour. Model 3 it would be more like 7-8 miles per hour. 20A outlet (not that uncommon in garage) would be 30% more.

That isn't ideal but given that 12,000 miles a year is 33 miles per day it would still work for some users.

I guess the challenge isn't just adapting your own outlets, but the network itself. Everyone will plug the car in the evening after returning from work. Expect something like the power outages in summer months when everyone turns the A/C on until utility companies decide to step in and update their hardware.In the end, like it or not, electric cars are coming so we'll have to prep for it.

I had a mini cooper back around 2005 and the speedometer was in the same place as the model 3. It took some getting used to but it turned out to be a simple adjustment that did not affect my driving at all.

I was going to say this. There are already several cars out there with center instrument clusters, it's pretty easy to get used to.

Yep, had that on my 2004 Nissan Xtrail, in the end I even ended up liking it for the symmetry (Kinda crazy now that I think about it).

Honestly checking your speed is just a split second anyways, like checking the blindspot before a turn, it doesn't distract enough for it to cause significant harm, relative to the benefit of being aware of your speed.

However, I'm very undecided on the screen just for missing actual buttons.Plus side is updates and possible improvements to the UI and functions over the course of the cars lifetime, downside is that you actually most of the time have to look at the screen to press buttons.

For example, I don't even have markings on my main keyboard at home, because muscle memory knows where everything is - I still can't do that with my touch screen keyboard.

The same way apartment dwellers in extremely cold areas deal with living in an area that requires their ICE vehicles be plugged in overnight if you want them to start. It might be a while before the infrastructure arrives for the vast majority of people, but it'll get there eventually. In the meantime, you can charge at work, use superchargers occasionally if you don't drive much, or just wait for the infrastructure to build out enough that an EV makes sense for you. They won't work for everyone right now, just like gas cars had to wait for the infrastructure to be built out, but that's fine.

I guess the challenge isn't just adapting your own outlets, but the network itself. Everyone will plug the car in the evening after returning from work. Expect something like the power outages in summer months when everyone turns the A/C on until utility companies decide to step in and update their hardware.In the end, like it or not, electric cars are coming so we'll have to prep for it.

That is already a solved problem. EVs already support "charging hours" you program when the car should start charging. If the utility offers a lower rate off peak then you would program your car to start charging then. There is tons of idle capacity overnight right now.

Dominion power in Virginia for example offers EV charging between 10pm and 6am at 4 cents per kWh. In a Model S 12,000 miles would be ~4,000 kWh and at 4 cents per kWh that would be $160 a year. It is a no brainer to charge when it is cheap if the utilities give you that option and it is a no brainer for the utilities to shift that demand to overnight to improve the efficiency of the grid.

I doubt that's going to last long. The 4 cents/kWh means the utility company is definitely selling at a loss just because it is more expensive to shut down facilities overnight. Fast forward a bit.. if your average household consumption is 20-30kWh (US. Europe is lower) and that's roughly how much you'll put in your battery overnight, I'd expect the price per kWh to even out as consumption doubles.You're riding a bit ahead of the wave if you own an EV now - everyone else is subsidizing your tax incentives and electricity, even the factory where Model 3s are built. For how long?

I guess the challenge isn't just adapting your own outlets, but the network itself. Everyone will plug the car in the evening after returning from work. Expect something like the power outages in summer months when everyone turns the A/C on until utility companies decide to step in and update their hardware.In the end, like it or not, electric cars are coming so we'll have to prep for it.

That is already a solved problem. EVs already support "charging hours" you program when the car should start charging. If the utility offers a lower rate off peak then you would program your car to start charging then. There is tons of idle capacity overnight right now.

Dominion power in Virginia for example offers EV charging between 10pm and 6am at 4 cents per kWh. In a Model S 12,000 miles would be ~4,000 kWh and at 4 cents per kWh that would be $160 a year. It is a no brainer to charge when it is cheap if the utilities give you that option and it is a no brainer for the utilities to shift that demand to overnight to improve the efficiency of the grid.

I doubt that's going to last long. The 4 cents/kWh means the utility company is definitely selling at a loss just because it is more expensive to shut down facilities overnight. Fast forward a bit.. if your average household consumption is 20-30kWh (US. Europe is lower) and that's roughly how much you'll put in your battery overnight, I'd expect the price per kWh to even out as consumption doubles.You're riding a bit ahead of the wave if you own an EV now - everyone else is subsidizing your tax incentives and electricity, even the factory where Model 3s are built. For how long?

Depends on what the main source of power is in your area. Fossil fuels already have cost per KWh for the fuel that should be acting as a floor so I don't expect they are selling that power at less than the fuel costs. Most currently in use nuclear doesn't load follow well so they are likely happy to sell it at any cost. In area's with Wind installations it is often higher output at night while the consumption is noticeably lower leading to peaks of over 50% of the power on the grid from wind at times. If overnight charging does become a bigger load it makes wind turbines much more appealing. Selling for 4c/kWh is much better than paying someone 1c or 2c so you can get your couple cent subsidy for producing green energy.

I guess the challenge isn't just adapting your own outlets, but the network itself. Everyone will plug the car in the evening after returning from work. Expect something like the power outages in summer months when everyone turns the A/C on until utility companies decide to step in and update their hardware.In the end, like it or not, electric cars are coming so we'll have to prep for it.

That is already a solved problem. EVs already support "charging hours" you program when the car should start charging. If the utility offers a lower rate off peak then you would program your car to start charging then. There is tons of idle capacity overnight right now.

Dominion power in Virginia for example offers EV charging between 10pm and 6am at 4 cents per kWh. In a Model S 12,000 miles would be ~4,000 kWh and at 4 cents per kWh that would be $160 a year. It is a no brainer to charge when it is cheap if the utilities give you that option and it is a no brainer for the utilities to shift that demand to overnight to improve the efficiency of the grid.

I doubt that's going to last long. The 4 cents/kWh means the utility company is definitely selling at a loss just because it is more expensive to shut down facilities overnight. Fast forward a bit.. if your average household consumption is 20-30kWh (US. Europe is lower) and that's roughly how much you'll put in your battery overnight, I'd expect the price per kWh to even out as consumption doubles.

30 kWh would be 90 to 120 miles per day. 120 miles per day * 365 = 43,800 miles per year. So once again throwing just totally wrong nonsense out there.

At 3 to 4 miles per kWh, 12,000 miles annually would be 3,000 to 4,000 kWh per year or 8 to 10 kWh per day. So even with 100% EV usage overnight power demands are unlikely to exceed daytime peak demand. There will still be an off peak although the gap between the two will be smaller.

Tesla is indeed breaking with all standards putting only that tablet and nothing else, but in my view, they are daring visionaries.People say they embrace the new but when time comes they are not able to see past their own stereotypes and fixations (by that I mean 75% of this article's comments).

Forget all you know about cars, start clean. Dashboard full of indicators, gauges and lights ? Better watch the road not the indicators. If the cars is not driving by itself. If it actually is (driving by itself) why all that classic fancy dashboard ? Think about "voice control" for example.We are used to have it (the dashboard), we may (soon) no longer need it (most of it), but can't live if we don't have it.Let's try something new: evolution. It was about time.

Who in the heck has an external 240v 32amp to 40amp outlet conveniently mounted in their garage (non-attached) or the wall of their house?

I don't. But that's not a deal breaker for me: given that I'll probably be spending of the order of $AU60k on the vehicle, another $1k (or so) to have the outlet installed in my carport, near where the car will be parked overnight, will be well worth it. Especially since I'll certainly save that much in fuel over the first year or two.

Let's be honest, people don't currently buy EVs like the 3 for cost savings.

You're misunderstanding my point in that comment.

I fully recognise that the Model 3 will cost me more to buy and own (between purchase price, maintenance, and electricity) than my current Honda Jazz (aka the Fit in other parts of the world). I'm not going to buy it to save money. I'm going to buy it to help push along the transition from petroleum products to electricity (knowing that the grid where I live is predominantly fueled by brown coal, but one battle at a time, thanks - and even brown coal fueled electricity is better overall as a fuel for a car than petroleum, when you consider the efficiency of an internal combustion engine, plus the energy costs of refining and shipping the fuel.)

In that context, the presence or absence of a charging point at my home is neither here nor there: in comparison to the cost of the car, an extra one or two percent on the purchase price to install a charging point (and not have to worry about buying petrol regularly) is line noise. It's a non issue: yes, you need to be aware that the cost will need to be paid, but as an argument against EVs, it really is a non-starter.

Tesla is indeed breaking with all standards putting only that tablet and nothing else, but in my view, they are daring visionaries.

I guess they are. But "daring" implies the significant possibility of failure. To judge by reaction here and elsewhere online, that possibility has actualised.

My BMW i3 also has all its information on displays -- a small one in front of the wheel and a larger one centre-dash. But these are not touch screens, all control is via some kind of stick, knob or button. And this is crucial since I don't need to think about making changes, or look, its all from muscle memory.

Honesty I am put off from getting a Model 3 (which was a serious candidate) by this one factor. Hopefully they will offer an option to put a "essential info" panel in front of the driver, and a physical control panel somewhere reachable.

30 kWh would be 90 to 120 miles per day. 120 miles per day * 365 = 43,800 miles per year. So once again throwing just totally wrong nonsense out there.

At 3 to 4 miles per kWh, 12,000 miles annually would be 3,000 to 4,000 kWh per year or 8 to 10 kWh per day. So even with 100% EV usage overnight power demands are unlikely to exceed daytime peak demand. There will still be an off peak although the gap between the two will be smaller.

You seem to use only figures that suit you. Like the 12,000 average annual mileage (reminds me of Tesla's excellent fatality rate on autopilot comparison) and the weird idea that you'll even out charging the car every day.

Reality check - the average US household had 1.9 personal vehicles in 2001. So even if we stick to your 12,000 average (browsing Tesla forums might give you a different impression) you get at least 23kWh. Am I the one "throwing just totally wrong nonsense out there"?..